Michael Schaller - Böcker

Michael Schaller argues that the reconstruction of postwar Japan not only shaped the future of that country, but also the future of U.S. policy throughout postwar Asia, leading up to the controversial interventions in China, Korea, and Vietnam. In this detailed study, he shows how the U.S., after the war, sought to develop Japan as a stable bulwark against both Soviet expansion and Asian revolution. In particular, he depicts the intense conflict that raged among American officials, with the flamboyant Occupation Commander, General Douglas MacArthur, against virtually all civilian and military planners in Washington, including President Truman. Lauded by the public as a hero, and initially given free rein to shape the future of Japan, MacArthur was gradually undermined in a series of bureaucratic and personal manoeuvres. His plans were replaced by a new Occupation programme, which provided U.S. aid to rebuild Japan as a major industrial power at the hub of a subordinate Asian trading network. This was done in the hope that Japan's regional dominance would simultaneously ensure recovery, bolster world trade, and stabilize the fragile arc of Southeast Asian states in transit from colonialism to independence. Michael Schaller's fascinating account is indispensable to anyone seeking to understand the United States's complex postwar history.

Michael Schaller supplies the historical background to show how the US transformed Japan from enemy to ally, covering the crucial years from 1945 to 1973 in which Japan emerged as a regional and global economic power. Schaller focuses on political, strategic, and economic relations, illuminating the connections between America's early trade policies toward Japan and the desire to secure the country as a bulwark against Communism in Asia.

At the height of Ronald Reagan's popularity in July 1986, Time magazine wrote glowingly of how he had "found America's sweet spot." Reagan seemed a "magician who carries a bright, ideal America like a holograph in his mind and projects its image in the air." Not since the rhapsody about "Camelot" that surrounded John F. Kennedy in the wake of his assassination had a president been spoken of so reverently. Reagan pledged to bring Americans a "little goodnews" and during the next eight years, through recession and recovery, cold war and detente, success and scandal Reagan forged a powerful bond with the public. His popularity appeared so unrelated to actualachievements and so undiminished by failure that Colorado Representative Pat Schroeder dubbed him the "Teflon president." Providing a brief but comprehensive and non-polemical overview of what exactly took place during the Reagan years, Michael Schaller presents a lively account of the Reagan presidency, weighing the president's great personal and political popularity against the effects of his economic, social, diplomatic, and strategic decisions. Much more than an account ofReagan the man, Schaller offers us a fascinating evaluation of the Reagan phenomenon, providing an accessible introduction for Americans struggling to understand the illusory and actual impact of theReagan administration on the 1980s and on years to come.

This book examines the dramatically shifting relationship between the peoples and governments of the United States and China during the past century. By focusing on personalities as well as policies, on cultures as well as politics, Schaller explains the roots od the misperceptions that have alternately driven the two countries together and apart. In doing so, Schaller traces the tangled relationship between the U.S. and China from the opium trade and missionary movement in the 19th century to the current tensions over trade relations and human rights.

American Horizons presents an opportunity to view the nation's history as more than a mere sequence of events for students to memorize. Although adhering to a familiar chronological organization, its narrative style and structure provide the flexibility of shifting emphasis from time to time to the global aspects of American history. Although the story of the United States is always at the center, that story is told through the movement of people, goods, and ideas into, within, or out of the United States. This unique approach provides a fully integrated global perspective that seamlessly contextualizes American events within the wider world.

American Horizons presents an opportunity to view the nation's history as more than a mere sequence of events for students to memorize. Although adhering to a familiar chronological organization, its narrative style and structure provide the flexibility of shifting emphasis from time to time to the global aspects of American history. Although the story of the United States is always at the center, that story is told through the movement of people, goods, and ideas into, within, or out of the United States. This unique approach provides a fully integrated global perspective that seamlessly contextualizes American events within the wider world.

In this short biography, Michael Schaller, acclaimed historian of the American political right, offers readers a poignant account of Ronald Reagan's life and achievements, from his small-town upbringing in rural Illinois to his cinematic success in Hollywood, entry into politics as governor of California, and meteoric rise to the White House, where he served for eight years. The polarizing Great Communicator oversaw many developments that changed the face of American politics and life-the Iran-Contra Affair, the establishment of ¨Reaganomics,¨ the largest military buildup in peacetime US history--and as such remains a figure about whom much is written and much has yet to be discovered. Schaller revisits each of these episodes during and leading up to the Reagan presidency, taking into account the latest scholarship and research. In doing so, he makes clear their significance at the time and in later years.While most presidential biographies approach 1,000 pages, this succinct narrative comes in at just over 100 pages, continuing the tradition of excellence in brevity established by James McPherson's New York Times bestseller Abraham Lincoln and Alan Brinkley's recent short biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Schaller's biography of Ronald Reagan will be available in time to commemorate the centennial of Reagan's birth, an opportune time to reflect on the accomplishments of America's fortieth president.

Although he left office nearly 20 years ago, Ronald Reagan remains a potent symbol for the conservative movement. The Bush administration frequently invokes his legacy as it formulates and promotes its fiscal, domestic, and foreign policies. His name is watchword for campus conservatives who regard him in a way that borders on hero worship. Conservative media pundits often equate the term "Reagan-esque" with personal honor, fiscal rectitude, and unqualified success in dealing with foreign threats. But how much of the Reagan legacy is based on fact, how much on idealized myth? And what are the reasons - political and otherwise - behind the mythmaking? "Deconstructing Reagan" is a fascinating study of the interplay of politics and memory concerning our fortieth president. While giving credit where credit is due, the authors scrutinize key aspects of the Reagan legacy and the conservative mythology that surrounds it.

Although he left office nearly 20 years ago, Ronald Reagan remains a potent symbol for the conservative movement. The Bush administration frequently invokes his legacy as it formulates and promotes its fiscal, domestic, and foreign policies. His name is watchword for campus conservatives who regard him in a way that borders on hero worship. Conservative media pundits often equate the term "Reagan-esque" with personal honor, fiscal rectitude, and unqualified success in dealing with foreign threats. But how much of the Reagan legacy is based on fact, how much on idealized myth? And what are the reasons - political and otherwise - behind the mythmaking? "Deconstructing Reagan" is a fascinating study of the interplay of politics and memory concerning our fortieth president. While giving credit where credit is due, the authors scrutinize key aspects of the Reagan legacy and the conservative mythology that surrounds it.